Is a gluten-free diet just a fad diet? With the sheer volume of information around today, plenty of people do adopt an eating pattern that does not suit their physiology, without first understanding either the nutrition involved or their own health status. Fortunately, advances in medicine and biotechnology mean there are now many biochemical tests that help professionals assess someone's nutritional and dietary status more precisely, and build a nutrition plan tailored to them.
The gluten-free diet began as a way to relieve the symptoms of celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that cannot be fully cured. An autoimmune disease is one in which the body's immune system reacts abnormally to normal, healthy tissue. When someone with celiac disease eats food containing gluten, their immune system identifies the gluten as harmful and releases antibodies that attack the lining of the small intestine, damaging the intestinal villi, impairing nutrient absorption and producing diarrhea, bloating and other digestive symptoms.
Go back to the Second World War, when vegetables, fruit and wheat were all in severe shortage across Europe. A Dutch pediatrician, Dr. Willem-Karel Dicke, noticed that while malnutrition among children was serious, cases of celiac disease had fallen markedly in the absence of wheat products. In 1941 he published the first study in history linking a gluten-free diet to intestinal disease, and the world came to know the pioneer of the gluten-free diet.
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and the foods derived from them. Under the influence of Western eating patterns, foods containing gluten can appear at practically every meal on our tables — bread, biscuits, pasta and so on. The purpose and the principle of a gluten-free diet is to avoid any food or drink containing gluten: noodles, dumpling wrappers, pastries, soy sauce, beer. Fortunately there are now many alternatives to choose from, such as gluten-free bread, biscuits and pastries, usually made with rice flour, corn flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour or other gluten-free grains and nuts. Anyone following a gluten-free diet should keep an eye on their daily requirements for carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins and minerals, eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, protein (meat, fish, poultry, legumes and so on) and other gluten-free grains (white rice, buckwheat, potatoes and the like). Unfortunately wheat products are everywhere and avoiding them completely is genuinely difficult, so gluten-degrading enzymes — prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV) — are a useful ally for anyone eating gluten-free. It is a challenging way to eat, but it is also one that stimulates creativity.
Built on the foundation of relieving disease, the gluten-free diet has helped a great many people with celiac disease. Over the past decade or so, well-known figures in Europe and the United States — Victoria Beckham, Sharon Stone, the tennis player Novak Djokovic among them — have publicly endorsed it, bringing this particular dietary approach to the attention of far more people and of the health industry. For anyone with celiac disease, following a gluten-free diet matters a great deal. Food sensitivity testing may also identify people with gluten or gliadin sensitivity, those with autoimmune conditions, those with long-standing digestive discomfort, and those managing their weight as candidates for whom a gluten-free diet could be appropriate. That said, not everyone needs one. If you suspect you react to gluten, or you are interested in eating gluten-free, we suggest consulting a doctor or dietitian to determine whether it fits your own health needs.
Bloating, fatigue and brain fog are common reactions in chronic food sensitivity, and because the reaction is delayed it is very hard to match to a specific food on your own.
See the allergen and food sensitivity panel →Frequently asked questions
What is gluten?
Gluten is a group of proteins in wheat, barley and rye that gives dough its elasticity. A gluten-free diet means avoiding those grains and anything made from them.
Who needs a gluten-free diet?
People with celiac disease must avoid gluten strictly, which is a medical matter. There is also a group with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, who experience bloating, fatigue and brain fog after eating it but test negative for celiac antibodies.
How do I know whether I am sensitive to gluten?
The usual approach is an elimination test — avoid it completely for a period, then reintroduce it and observe how your body responds. For something more objective, chronic food sensitivity testing shows the actual immune response alongside it.
Uncomfortable after eating, but unable to pin down which food?
Chronic food sensitivity reactions are delayed by hours or days and are very hard to catch from notes alone.
Body Decode, 136 markers, covers 17 health categories including immunity and inflammation and nutrients, with a consultant report review and an action plan.
